From the Separatist Perspective
by Crlisst Herssek
Summary: Written as an in-universe document, this is a compilation of sources from those involved in the Clone Wars who supported the Separatists. Essays, letters, journals, scripts, and more (even a holocron) explain events from another point of view...
1. Who Started the Clone Wars?

Date: 13 BBY

Author: Doikk Bi'lor, a Bith Senator, writes our first piece. A gifted intellect, the computerized algorithms on Bith chose him to represent the planet in the Republic at the age of 39, shortly after the Naboo crisis forced a change. The current Bith senator at the time was removed from power after he controversially voted in favor of removing Valorum from office, then voted for Palpatine in the election. And so, the Computer deemed that he needed to be replaced. Bi'lor was the replacement. He was Populist, strongly supporting planetary independence. This gave him a natural dislike towards Palpatine. But I digress on his political views, back to his history. Senator Bi'lor was quick to join the Confederacy, citing calculations which suggested economic benefit and a preference for greater independence. Though the Bith themselves were not eager to fight, they were in Separatist territory, so they were quickly liberated by droid forces. Bi'lor was a minor voice in the Separatist Parliament for the rest of the war. His people helped to support the CIS without fighting directly, generally providing technological supplies. Support by the Bith people kept him alive after the war, though his political career was ended. He lived a quiet life on Bith until the Empire suspected him of Rebellion, and he was arrested and executed in 12 BBY.  
Writing: By most appearances, Bi'lor just got somewhat bored with his life on Bith after he was forced to retire from politics. Seeking to get some attention from the fields of political sciences, he wrote this paper for the political talk magazine _Quadrillions of Perspectives_. Its controversy on such a touchy subject did give some attention, but his efforts also backlashed. Despite Bi'lor being relatively unbiased, its criticisms of Palpatine during that era in particular became unpopular. Note that it is written without knowledge of Palpatine's manipulations or Dooku being a his apprentice. Given its time, it also uses the BE/AE timeline, measuring dates relative to the creation of the Galactic Empire.

Upon surveying the question posed in the title, 5 years ago, one would have received two types of answers, one saying the Republic, the other blaming the Confederacy. Both of these are, in retrospect, very polarized points of view. In this more modern era, I sincerely hope the political community can remove its bias and accurately answer this question. That is, after all, the very definition of science.  
To not mention my own biases and opinions at the time would be hypocritical, so I suppose it is necessary for my past to be explained. For those who do not know me, I was a Separatist. I still stand by that decision. Of course, there were overall benefits to my people that were my main reasons. Being part of the Confederacy simply put us in a superior situation economically, since the Republic tariffs were getting to be very high, and very few of those tax credits were coming to us. The calculations supported my choice. Being a Populist, I idealistically preferred the Confederacy. The general belief that planets should be more independent was one of my main reasons. The morals of the greater galaxy came second when it came to the needs of my people, so who was right or wrong was never of great concern at the time, and it was minor enough that I could look at unbiasedly. I chose to blame the Republic, and that was that.

Perhaps my bias influenced me more than I thought at the time. My logic was, as usual for anyone at the time, oversimplified. "The Separatist worlds wanted a peaceful secession, and the Republic attacked." Those who supported the Republic had a similarly polarized view. "The Separatists declared war, and we defended ourselves." So different, so similar. The irony would have been amusing were we not so arrogant.

But how did the Clone Wars _actually_ start? To say Geonosis would be the common answer, but there are plenty of other events that are able to be considered. Some might suggest going back to when Dooku first began giving speeches, promoting a secession. 13 BE might be a common answer, considering a few important events at that time. Valorum was removed from power, Palpatine's rose to it, the Trade Federation protested on Naboo, and the creation of a Clone Army began. However, when considering the secessionist movement and the longtime struggle involving corporate control, one might as well go back to the blockade of Malastare by the Corporate Alliance, which went similarly and also provided vital lessons for the Trade Federation in their own blockade. But when corporate power is considered as a primary factor, 109 BE is a pretty solid choice, since that first allowed megacorps to be considered "Functional Constituencies" and receive representation in the Senate. And yes, it goes farther back. Functional Constituencies first received representation in the Ruusan Reformations over 1,000 years ago.

Looking at the reasons that the Confederate planets had for secession is not the purpose of this essay, however, so I shall start elsewhere. The logical place to start is before the war had become an inevitability, when a peaceful secession was still possible.

The only issue is that the idea of war grew gradually for both sides. The Republic long had pushes for a standing military. While this undeniably escalated during the Secessionist Movement, the Militarists existed long before that. Crises like the Stark Hyperspace War and the two corporate blockades, as well as a general desire to prep for the future give the Militarists prominence. (Note that the order for the creation of a Clone Army is not of relevance, since he was a single man, and it was secret to both sides.) The Militarist movement got the Separatist worlds nervous, as they feared an attack.

So the Confederacy, in turn, started its own military. It was, as the name indicates, a particularly loose confederacy at that time. Dooku was leading a small collection of Senators who wished for their planets to be independent. Threats, blackmailing, and fear of embargo had kept most of the worlds from making a formal move at that point. The few that did weren't all that the major. While the warlike Aqualish were a nice score for the CIS at first, they were almost hoping for a war. Though this loose array of planets was desperate for an army, (considering the Militarists in the Republic) they weren't united enough to make a Confederacy-wide draft. Though they had come to hate corporations, it became apparent that they had no choice. Combining the wealth of the planets and Dooku's own large funds from his noble background, the Confederacy began to hire an army from sources that already had them, like the Trade Federation. Much of the support was also in exchange for influence, thus forcing the CIS to succumb to some of the same sort of corruption that the Republic had. The corporations were promised seats on the secretive Separatist Council, which would allow them to partial control the forces that they had supplied.

But, this certainly didn't start the war. The Confederacy was simply preparing its pre-emptive self-defense. Yet, the same could be said about the Republic's increase in power of the Judicials and pushes for a proper army.

And the cycle went on and on. As more Senators joined the Militarists, the Confederacy hired more droid armies. And that made increased calls for militarism in the Republic Senate. Of course, the Republic didn't make major moves, but these calls were just as intimidating as the droids hired by the Confederacy. This arms race seemed destined to end in a cold war, and, all things considered, neither truly were doing anything all that wrong.

The more clear prediction was that the Confederacy was almost certain to run low on credits. The Republic had a hundred times more planets than the Confederacy at the time, the Confederacy worlds were poor as is. With the Confederacy so weak, it couldn't easily grow, either. The Republic was ready to secure victory with increased economic embargoes, a bold move the began to further necessitate desperation on the part of the Confederacy.

But who is to blame in this critical escalation? It's hard to find fault with the Confederacy when they were so small. But how necessary was their army? As you may know, I am a pacifist myself, so the topic is of some bias to me. The Republic had yet to create an army at the time, so they didn't exactly need it.

It is with the Republic that I do find more fault. Of course, my argument against the Militarists is one that's sure is well enough known, so I'll be brief. The Republic was overreacting, of course, to the Confederacy, and the Militarist camp increased drastically in response to the minor increases in the Separatist military, but keep in mind that there was little action. The Republic really only threatened to create an army. I can't tell you how many Senators would say, "One more move by those Separatists and I'm onboard with military creation." Likewise, the Judicials received major increases in armament. Certainly, they were not exactly a military as much as they were security, but it was a threat nevertheless. There were calls for pretty much everything to react to the Separatists, from peace to war to embargo. What was never discussed is _why_ they were so opposed to the Secessionist Movement.

It is hard to say these things definitively, as they are, undeniably, broad generalizations. The Toleredans were determined that they wouldn't secede unless it was peaceful, the Aqualish were desperate for someone to fight. Anaxan patriots wouldn't rest until the Separatists were entirely massacred, the Alderaanians made pleas to the Senate for peace. But I try to summarize.

Even with the Militarists on either side, things probably wouldn't have escalated without either Palpatine or Dooku. Palpatine, for his part, was strong in his calls to increase action against the Separatists, at the political, economic, and social levels. His attempts to further centralize power only encouraged the more poorer systems to secede, although it started a trend that did an excellent job of strengthening the Republic.

Dooku started to have his first clashes with the Confederacy Senators that he once got along so well with. While most were willing to fight for their independence, Dooku started to enter a state that was much more paranoid than his fellow Confederates. In the end, he was correct, but he began to strongly promote militarizing in preparation of a Republic attack. Perhaps the Republic never would have ended up attacking, had Dooku not been so set on defense.

As mentioned before, the Separatists were getting desperate, as they were too few and too poor. Just as Palpatine's term was coming to an end, their desperate move happened. It was a major success. Of all the regions, none had more reason to hate the Republic than the Expansion Region, which essentially allowed corporations to own planets. They could even own ones with sentient native populations. And as Dooku came to the Expansion Region, the Secessionist Movement gained ground.

Not only did (admittedly poor) planets join the Confederacy, it was the Fabrin Lawsuits that started a decisive trend. Suing the megacorps for stripping the planet of the native's resources, the Confederacy found itself a powerful ally in, of all things, the Republic Courts. Taking advantage of the decent parts in Republic law by bringing to light the atrocities committed against the primitive natives and exploiting loopholes that caused some cases of illicit land use, the Confederacy managed to get a ton of money for Fabrin, all while bankrupting a corporation. While it was by no means as a major as SoroSuub, Fabritech wasn't exactly popular, either.

Confederacy lawyer Hespecia Glit'ton, a Caamasi, was a hero to most.

To say that Fabritech had the moral high ground in such a case would be undeniably wrong. Yet, the Republic politicians saw the threat. Hundreds of Expansion Region systems continued this trend, and suddenly, once poor systems were taking large amounts of money from corporations and joining the Confederacy. And for every judge the Republic tried to influence, it was always somehow brought to light. The Confederacy had enough planets to be independent and enough money to possibly defend itself against the Republic.

Undeniably, the Fabrin Lawsuits made the Clone Wars happen. Without them, Republic would have destroyed the Confederacy (via military or economic means) with ease. But crushing the Confederacy isn't exactly a solution, either, and they had a right to fight for their freedom.

While Republic Senators considered the Fabrin Lawsuits to be an open attack on their economy by the Confederacy, any successful cases by the Confederacy did cause Republic judges to support them. It could only last so long, however. Laws were modified, judges were replaced, and they simply ran out of worlds in the Expansion Region.

The Clone Wars started to become a fight over the Expansion Region. More money lead to more Confederacy funds, and more funds drew more planets in. Suddenly, Dooku ruled a majority of the Expansion Region, Mid Rim, and Outer Rim. By then, the Republic was in full panic, and Palpatine received an extension until crisis's end, so as to not "switch banthas in the middle of dune." The Republic was desperate to get territory back, as well, and the Expansion Region was yet again starred for its unique legal state.

At the time, Expansion Region planets had been entirely part of the Confederacy, a result of the assistance they received from them and frustration with the Republic. But they were still legally property of the corporations. Like former owners of escaped slaves, they wanted them back. And the Republic was more than happy to oblige them. And, because of corruption, powerless to stop them.

The Republic retaking of the Expansion Region, if one asks most, was the turning point that made war inevitable. The thing is, even those who were against the war had little choice but to let the companies do as they pleased. Republic law gave the corporations legal control of the planets, not to mention the corporations qualified as Functional Constituencies, so they had powerful representation in the Senate.

Palpatine and the Militarists, now firmly united, were able to sit back and watch as the Expansion Region was forced into Republic hands. Outrage swept through the Confederacy Senate. Justice had to be done. The Republic's corruption had forced the Expansion Region into further injustice as part of a government they didn't support. To many Separatists, this was the Republic's last straw.

"Free the Expansion Region" was the united cry throughout the CIS. Even as Dooku and his Senators made plans to hire more corporate armies to appease these calls for justice, their actions were by no means the first violence.

The fateful day came on Cathar, when the Cathar struck first. Splinter guerillas to the Confederacy, terrorists to the Republic, the Mining Guild was driven off the planet by means of brute force. The spark started a blaze. Fabrin, returning to stardom, was quick to follow suit, becoming a poster boy for the CIS when Commander Xagbar lead a string of attacks against the Fabritech forces that had retaken their planet. Then it was Umbara, Terrijo, and Ord Vaug. The attacks ranged, it is hard to characterize them. Civilian casualties are a major focal point in analyzing morals of any attack, but in this case, they varied greatly by planet. The line between terrorist and freedom fighter was so thin in these cases.

To the Republic, this was an open act of war. The Militarists were ready, and they called the vote for creation of an army. Did they jump the gun, become too eager to fight? Perhaps. As a pacifist, I try to ignore my bias in this analysis. Media played a surprisingly large role in this early vote. Many Senators who voted in favor actually came to regret their choice upon discovering the media portrayals to contain a great deal of yellow press.

The revolutionaries of the Expansion Region met mixed feelings. To me, they acted too quickly, not realizing the consequences of their actions. There is a reason why the Confederacy itself had yet to attack. But the revolutions were bound to be treated as an act of war, so the CIS had to defend itself.

Dooku's secrecy became apparent with his secret allies on Geonosis. This is one of the more controversial moves, even to a Separatist like myself. Dooku built armies on Geonosis with Confederacy funds, without permission or even knowledge from the Separatist Parliament. CIS reports often call it necessary, pointing out the need to defend against the Republic. But, the Confederacy was a democracy.

People argue about the need for secrecy and lack of trust between members. Perhaps they are right. Dooku had been given power, and he betrayed it. But when the Republic hunted him down while he made a critical arms deal on that very planet, the Geonosian droids saved him.

Through those droids, he was able to capture two Jedi and Senator Padmé Amidala, who were attempting highly illegal espionage on the planet. Geonosian tradition demanded execution, a harsh punishment. But, with Jedi reputation and need for secrecy in the arms deal, it was probably a good choice. However, word got out, and the Republic grew frustrated, considering this Dooku's last straw.

Getting the bill passed wasn't easy. In order to do it quickly enough, for what they considered a major emergency, the Senate needed to move quicker and more efficiently. The Senate had taken years to decide anything, at the time. The Military Creation Act needed acceleration, even with the sudden gift of a pre-made Clone Army.

The idea of Emergency Powers had been tossed around in private discussions, but none had the courage to officially propose it. Palpatine above all, couldn't, for he didn't want to be seen as a dictator. (Then, it was a very negative term.) But Palpatine needed it. And, if one were to believe actions from the Republic side of things, the Republic needed it.

No one had the courage to propose it, for fear that they would be shot down and humiliated. Only Jar-Jar Binks, with nothing to lose, finally did it. He was in power, ironically, thanks to Amidala's absence. And, it passed. The dictatorship began.

The Republic moved quickly to Geonosis, sending the army and hoping to catch Dooku, so as to intimidate the CIS into submission. But Dooku had an army, too. Sure, they lost the battle, but the army allowed Dooku to escape, allowed the Corporate backers to escape, and fought a hard battle.

To armies do not simply fight a single battle. For both sides, there was no doubt that the other was about to attack. The Clone Wars then continued as a series of "pre-emptive" strikes, before both sides started simply attacking for tactical purposes.

The war had begun.

To put all of the blame on either side in is completely wrong, as I stated earlier. From either side's point of view, the other caused it. Against such an evil enemy, pre-emptive strikes were necessary. Perhaps knowledge could have stopped the Clone Wars. Perhaps it wouldn't have. But things have transpired, and these things have now put the Empire in power.

Bi'lor does a great job of staying objective, sounding much more like a historian than a politician. While one might say that it would be better suited to textbooks than anything, (where it has been featured many times) it is nevertheless one of the best summaries I have seen related to the era. Now that we are no longer so unquestioningly favorable towards Palpatine and have had time to think about the past events, it has become of the most well-respected essays on the issue.


	2. Jedi in the Confederacy

DOCUMENT 1

Date: 22 BBY

Author: Pescian Fi'so was a Caamasi Jedi in the Confederacy and of Independent Systems. Trained by Sevi Menuk, he was a respected Jedi Knight when the Clone Wars began. After a few months of fighting, Pescian decided that he could no longer serve the Republic and left for the Confederacy. He was not the only Jedi to do this. He acted as a politician and general in the Confederacy, and his charismatic nature made him quite effective. Pescian was eventually captured by a Republic strike team lead by his former teacher while preparing for a speech on Toprawa. He was executed for war crimes a few months later.

Writing: Pescian's words are a flimsiplast letter that he sent to Sevi Menuk. He wrote it as an explanation for his actions. By all appearances, his words were to great effect, as she would later explain in the second document of this chapter. The letter was later found at Menuk's home on Kal'Shebbol by scavengers and was passed among various eccentric historians and collectors interested in the Jedi. It eventually made its way to a museum on Mim, a moon of Ossus.

Dear Sevi,

I know my actions seem wrong, and I know that you feel that I have fallen astray, that you consider me a Dark Jedi.

I am not. Dark Jedi serve the Dark Side, I do not.

I am a Jedi. Jedi fight for peace, I fight for peace. Jedi fight for good, I fight for good.

There is a distinction between our political views and our connection to the Force. While I cannot serve the Jedi Order, because of their support of the Republic, know that I still seek to make a difference in the galaxy as a Jedi. The Jedi Order claims to support peace, yet they continue this war by invading worlds that only seek peaceful independence.

There is a distinction between politics and the Force. You know that there are many Dark Jedi who still serve the Republic. Sadiya Keldon and Yonar Thos, for example. Likewise, the Confederacy doesn't discriminate by belief, either. There is also the Sa'to Thiall, Sek Natu, and Giro Quor in the CIS. I know that a handful of those who know Dooku more personally have fallen to the Dark Side, but there are also many of us who have stayed in the light.

I would hope that we can at some point create a new Jedi Order within the Confederacy, to further keep us grounded in the Light. Dooku was fairly neutral on the idea, although it simply isn't possible with the few amount of Jedi here. It is very difficulty being without the guidance and friendship from the other Jedi, but I am managing. I rarely see the other Jedi in the Confederacy, so I wish that I could have your counsel. I wish I had more counsel in the Light. But if I must do it alone, so be it. I will fight for what I believe, with or without the Jedi Order.

Sure, we Jedi don't have the best reputation in the Confederacy, but they have been surprisingly welcoming. Even when I met Grievous, he did little more than glare. That's fairly forgiving, considering what we Jedi did to his people.

I remember fighting with the Republic. I watched as we arrested Umbaran protesters in mass, and I participated as we burned down homes on Belasco. And so, I chose to join the Confederacy.

While I wish that you didn't fight for the Republic, I respect you as a person, and I wish things didn't turn out the way that they have. I hope that you can do the same. Current allegiances will never take away the good times together as Jedi, back when things were simple.

I hope that we never meet on the battlefront.

-Pescian

DOCUMENT 2

Date 21 BBY

Author: Sevi Menuk was a human Jedi who lived during the Clone Wars era. She trained the Jedi Knight Pescian Fi'so. An older woman known for her surprisingly versatile use of Makashi, she was a successful Jedi General during the Clone Wars. This changed after she lead a Republic strike team to arrest her former Padawan. Shortly after Pescian's execution, she left the Jedi Order and went into an exile on Kal'Shebbol. An Imperial bounty hunter found her farm in 17 BBY, and Menuk fled. While Imperial records indicate that she survived, her fate remains unknown.

Writing: Menuk's piece is a transcript taken from a recording in a holocron that she built. Like the above document, the holocron was recovered and sold by scavengers before the Empire could confiscate it. It eventually became a trophy for the powerful smuggler Jorj Car'das, who gave to Yoda himself, another exiled Jedi Master, in 0 BBY. It was recovered by Luke Skywalker sometime around 18 ABY to bring to his Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. From him, I was able to briefly borrow it once I became interested in Menuk's story.

So often, the Padawan follows the steps of the Master. For that is the way of things. But, it is rare indeed that the Master follows the ways of the Padawan. Looking back, I was wrong about so many things. I regret so much. That is the way of life. It is the hardship that unites us as sentients. Mistakes come in all shapes and sizes, but, my friend, understand that there are only two real types of mistakes. There are those that you acknowledge as such and those that you believe to be right. It is the latter that are particularly dangerous.

I do not know what history will think of me. Do I care? Not particularly. A Jedi doesn't seek glory or fame. And, so, I have made my choice. Now, I understand that all sentients are more inclined to listening to those that they respect. So, for anyone who wants to hear my words and truly take my teachings to heart, I find it vital that you first understand why I have done what I have done.

Leaving the Jedi Order wasn't anything that I took lightly. The seed was first planted in me when I received a letter from my former Padawan, Pescian Fi'so. He had recently defected to the Confederacy, but he managed to send it to me via a neutral civilian courier while we were grinding out a devastating battle in the muddy trenches on the eighth moon of Cyil. This letter was the first time that I ever even thought about my choice to serve the Republic.

It had been months of warfare, and I hadn't even taken the time to consider whether or not I was on the right side. It may sound silly, but it is a trap that we fall into more than we think.

Pescian mostly reminded me, first and foremost, that the Jedi serve the Force, not the Senate. The core of our ideals is to do good. While, historically, this had been done through the Republic, things can change in a hurry. And so, I asked myself, was the will of the Force truly in line with the will of the Senate? I meditated for weeks with no answers. While I called on other Jedi for advice, such as my friend Arligan Zey, they were as biased and arrogant as anyone else in the Republic. I wonder if any other them had ever truly thought about what they were doing under the Republic.

So, with no clear answer to stop, I went back to habitually fighting for the Republic. The next turning point in my circumstances came five months later, when I was assigned by the Jedi Council to hunt down my former Padawan. While they assumed that he had turned to the Dark Side, that was clearly not the case. I lead a strike team of Republic Commandos and eventually hunted him down on Toprawa. The Republic Commandos held off droid forces while I chased him through the streets and dueled on the rooftops. As it tends to be with his Soresu form, he never attacked once.

The Commandos then came in a gunship, following orders that they were to blow up both of us along with the building we were above. He surrendered at that point, and we fled to an invading Venator before going to Republic space with him in tow.

Nearly instantly and without a proper trial, he was deemed too dangerous to be kept alive by the military higher-ups and executed. His last words were to tell me that he could no longer do anything, and he asked me what I would choose to do to stand up for what was right. Of course, this left me very distraught with the Republic. He had by no means done anything worthy of execution, and even if he did, a trial would have been necessary! This wasn't a matter of attachment, as all of the Jedi told me over and over again. It was a matter of justice and human rights.

I debated endlessly with the Jedi before the threats started to come in that I could get arrested for treasonous speech. (The Republic had suspended free speech in the name of security.) Eventually, I could stand the Republic no more.

Pushed on by guilt, I resigned from the Jedi Order. The simple life of a farmer on Kal'Shebbol isn't bad, and I have every intent to fight for what is right. However, despite meditating for hours a day, the Dark Side still clouds everything. But, once I find clarity, I will indeed act. That is the Jedi way.

Holocron recording with later dates indicate that Menuk found few answers until war's end, when she began to support the Rebel Alliance. What she did after she was found; however, remains a mystery. While Menuk's righteousness can be debated, to do nothing is certainly better than doing harm. She is among many Jedi, as an estimated 500 Jedi resigned once the war began. She is one the few that was willing to fight, most resigning Jedi supported pacifism in its entirety.

Sevi was a great hero within the Confederacy during his short time of service. Like many Caamasi, those who were around him say that he was one of the best men that they ever knew. He was not alone, and countless Jedi joined the CIS. While many followed Dooku's Dark Side teachings, a couple dozen seemed to stay within the Light Side. These numbers include Jannis Sorram and Bierreg Gos.

Aside from that, it is important to remember that Jedi still were even more disliked in the Confederacy than they were in the Republic. Palpatine had significant control over the media on both sides, and he went to great lengths to portray the Jedi as dangerous cultists. Furthermore, the Jedi did to little to boost their own public relations. As such, they were despised in the CIS and not trusted in the Republic.


End file.
